Bowflex Machine

Written by Timothy Elliott

Fitness gurus who don't have the time, money, or energy to build a complete home gym turn to the Bowflex machine as a do-it-all surrogate. The Bowflex uses its patented resistance rod system to give you the same workout you'd get with free weights, only without having to haul heavy plates around. There are several other key advantages that, when tallied together, make the Bowflex a superior choice to a home gym or a fitness club membership.

The most striking feature of the Bowflex machine is its efficiency. Not only can you target every muscle group that you can with free weights, you can do so at light speed, and without the hassle of racking your weights. Simply change your carabiners, swap out the hand straps, and adjust your power rods to move from your pecs to your lats to your delts to your biceps and triceps. The majority of your workout should never come from shlepping weights throughout your transitions.

More Advantages of the Bowflex Machine

Another huge plus the Bowflex affords is economy of space. At 83 inches by 52 inches by 48 inches, the Bowflex fits comfortably in the corner of your rec room, spare bedroom, or even your own bedroom. With your Bowflex that close, you'll never be able to use traffic, distance, or lines as excuses for not hitting the gym. And you can rule out the cleanliness factor as well since you, your significant other, and your guests are the only ones whose sweat will be left on the bars and straps.

The one thing a Bowflex machine will not give you is a concentrated cardiovascular workout. You may still receive some cardio benefits depending on the manner in which you exercise (circuit training can be a great heart-helper), but for extended heart-rate elevation, an elliptical trainer of exercise bike may give you more benefit. Those machines will not, however, give you the resistance required to build upper-body muscle mass.